Multiple-expansion rotary engine.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

A. I. OSTRANDER.

MULTIPLE EXPANSION ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 27, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.1, v I. Ru ZR mh m N WI d 40 Z M A U PATB NTED FEB. 27, 1906v A. I. OSTRANDER. MULTIPLE EXPANSION ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATIO'NIILED MAY 27, L905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H N d M R n R 00 m Mb T d l m if v 8 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED I. OSTRANDER, OF'YONKERS, NEW YORK.

MULTIPLE-EXPANSION RO'I 'ARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

Application filed May 27, 1905. Serial No. 262,542.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED I. OsTRANDER,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple- Expansion Rotary Engines,- of which the following is a specification.

Another part of the engine is a novel con struction o piston-shoe adapted for move- I ment radially of the piston by centrifugal force and by the pressure of the motive fluid in order to maintain the necessary tight engagement Wlth-EtWOIklII cylinder, said pistonshoe having in ad 'tion to the radial movement a-rocking engagement with the piston-body andsaid shoe being adapted to be kept while in a working position in engagement Withthe cylinder and with the piston-body by pressure of the motive fluid.

Another art of the invention resides in a working cy inder adapted to rotate freely on its longitudinal axis and occupying a concentric relation to an inclosing casing, the revoluble engine piston being eccentric to the working cylinder by which the piston is inclosed, whereby the friction and wear between the pistonv shoe or shoes and the working cylinder are minimized.

Another part of the invention is an automatic cut-off adapted to be actuatedby a governor occupying an exceedingly compact relation tothe engine-shaft and adapted to be operated under abnormal speed conditions;

for reducing the supply of motive fluid to the highressure chambe Oter improvements and advantages will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying drawings, forming a partofthis specification, .-whereinlike characters of reference are used to indicate correspondingpartsinall the figures. 1

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through a compound rotary engine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2is a vertical cross-section taken in the plane of the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken in the plane of the dotted line 3 3 of Fig.2 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of a cut-off for controlling the supply of steam to the high-pressure chamber.

A designates a suitable base which-supports a cylindrical casing B, the ends or heads I) of which casing are adapted to be se-" cured removably in place by bolts or otherwise. Said heads are provided with external bearing-seats c c, whic-h'are eccentric to the axis of'the cylinder, and these seats accommodate the journal-bearings O C for the engine-shaft D. This shaft extends continuously through the engine, and it ismounted for free rotation in said shaft-bearings O C, the latter being herein shown in the form of roller, ball, or antifriction bearings, although it will be understood that any suitable kind of shaft-bearing may be employed. One head I) is provided adjacent to the shaft-bearing O with a stuffing-box e, through which passes one extremity of a shaft D, the latter being provided at said protruding end with a driving-pulley d. On theother head 1), next to the shaft-bearing C, is another stufling-box 'e, and to this box is united a steam-chest E, the latter being provided at its distant end with a stuffing-box 6 A feed-pipe F is united in a suitable way to the steam-chest E for the purpose of supplying the motive fluid under pressure to a hollow length or section of the engine-shaft D, as will presently appear.

' The heacls b of the stationary inclosing casing B are provided with internal hubs or sleeves g g, the latter being concentric with the casing B and eccentric to the bearings C C. These internal hubs g are adapted to support the bearings G' G for a revoluble working cylinder H, the heads h of which are provided withseats h. Said seats extend externally from the cylinder-heads it toward the heads I) of the stationary casing, and between the hubs gand the bearing-seats h are the bearings 'G G for the working cylinder H. Said bearings are shown as antifriction, ball, or roller bearings; but it is evident that the type of bearing for the working cylinder H may be modified or changed similarly' to the bearings CC for the engine-shaft. The bearings G G are concentric with the longitudinal 4 axis of the stationary inclosing casing B, thus makin provision for supporting the work-.' '5 ing cy inder H in concentric relation to the.

these parts. This shaft D extends loosely through the hubsg, so asto'have the desired clearance with respect thereto; butthe shaft order to minlmize the'leaka'geof steam. The

shaft D is hollow for a certain part of its length 'toprovide an inlet-passage i, and in this shaft are the opening 'b and the slot 11 thus establishing communication between the hollow part i of the shaft and the chamber-of the steam-chest E.

' shaft'at the hollow part thereof terminates the steam-chest E, and in this en end of the shaft is secured an extension thelatter bein hollow and extending through the stuflin ox e 011 t e hollow end of the shaft D is a slidable cut-off J, the latter fitting snugly within the steam-chest E and adapted tohave a traversing endwise movement with respect to the inlet-port f of said steam-chest.

This cut-off is provided with a spiral Working.

face 7', which terminates'in an abrupt shoulder. or led e j, as shown more clearly by Fig.4. T e 'cut-ofi is adapted to re ulate the length of time during-each revo ution that'the inlet-port is in communication with the steam-supp y of the'boiler in order the chest E, the pressure in which is regulated or controlled by the action of thecut-off J.- In-the cut-off is secured a cross-pin k, which extends through the slo'ts'i, of the shaft, said pin ha'vin movement in said slots with the cut-off, an v,tothis pin-:is attached an endwise-movable stem K of a centrifugal governor Kl The stem K extendsthrough the hollow extension D of the engine-shaft and through/the stuffing-box k, which is attached to the protruding'end of said extension D. The centrifugal. governor may .be of the usual type or it maybe of 'any'preferred style; but, as herein shown the governor con-' sists of weightedlevers 1;. lcrumed at Z on a carrier 'or headm, the leversbeing held normally in closed relation. by sprin s .m or

' their equivalents. It will be un erstood that my invention is not restricted to the use of any particular type of governor for actu- 'ating the cut-off J automatically; but in the present instance I havearranged the. overnor in coaxial relation to the engine-s aft and rovided an exceedingly compact POSltlOII of parts wherein the operating mem-- free rotation wlthin the casing B andthe cylis packed within the stuffing-boxes e e e m.

The end of the to reduce the-volume of steam admitted to ber between the. cut-off and the governor prolper is a slidable stem extending lon itudinal y through a part of the engine-sha t.

The working cylinder H is divided by an internal partition M into a high-pressure 7o chamber N and a low-pressure 'chamber 0, the last-mentioned chamber being'of larger area than the high-pressure chamber N,,bccause the partition M is situated atone sideof the middle of said working cylinder. The 7 5 partition M is secured in the cylinder so as to ave steam-tight engagement therewith at the periphery of the cylinder; but this partiition is provided with a single opening M for the shaft D to'pass. through the same. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) p v i The. rotary eccentric piston of a compound engine constructed in accordance with my invention consists of-two members P P, which \are made fastwith the engine-shaft D and are arranged to work in the pressure-chambers N and 0, respectively. Said members of the piston operate within the working cylinder H on the respective'sides of the division 'or partition'M, and'said members P P are concentric with the shaft D, to which they are secured, whereby the piston members have the necessary eccentric relation to the :working 0 linder H, in order to have engage- .on one side of the iston. The iston member P is 'provided in its perip ery with a pocket and with a passage g, which opens into sai pocket'above the bottom thereof, said bottom of the pocket g being curved on a radius concentric with the shaft D. g In this pocket is arranged apiston-shoe Q, which is of chambered construction and is adapted to shave tight engagement with the inner surface of-the'working cylinder H and a rocking engagement with the. arallel side walls of the pocket q, said walls eing parallel to a radial line through the center of the piston member P, as shown b Fig. 2. The piston- :shoe Q extends thefull length of thejpiston member P and the width of the high-pressure chamber N, and this piston-shoe is provided with a chamber 1. The shoe is furthermore rovided with an arcuate face r, adapted to ave-engagement with the inner surface of the working cylinder H, and the walls of the chambered piston-shoe are curved, as at T for the purpose of permitting the piston-shoe to have a rocking en agementwith the parallel walls of the pociet q, the radius of. the 120 walls 1' being shorter than that of the wall or face 1'. Thesteam or other motive fluid is supplied to the high-pressure chamber N by the passage fl, which extends lengthwiseyof the engine-shaft D, and by a aassage s, which extends radially through the on member P, so as to open into the pocket, and into the chamber 1 of a the piston-shoe a, as clearly shown byFigsgl and-2. It will be seen that the piston-shoe Q is ex- :ment at a 1 times with said Working cylinder ,9 5

posed to the pressure of the motive fluid sup- I plied through the passages i '8, extending from the pressure-chest E 'to the pressurechamber N, and when the engine is in service this piston-shoe Q is acted on by centrifugal force, so as to move it radially with respect to the piston member P. The combined energy of the centrifugal force and the pressure of the motive fluid on the piston-shoe keeps or maintains the arcuate face 1" of said shoe normally in tight frictional contact with the inner surface of the working cylinder, and in the rotation of the shoe Q with the piston member P the shoe has a rocking movement with'respect to the piston member, owing to the difference in diameters of the cylinder and the piston and the eccentric relation of the latter to the former. ment of the piston-shoe relative to the piston is suflicient to close the Sport g when the parts are in the positionof Fig. 1; but as the parts assume the position'shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 for the other piston-shoe T, to be pres ently described, the shoe Qhas aradial movement relative to the piston P, so as to open the ports q 1' for the motive fluid to pass into the chamber N back of the piston-shoe. It will be seen that the piston-shoe is kept in tight frictional contact with the working cylinder, although it has'radial movement relative to the piston; but owingto the fact that the piston rotates on a different center from the axis of the cylinder I'have found it'advisable or necessary to construct the shoe Q in a way'to' have a slight rocking motion in and relative to the piston member, said rocke ing motion of the piston-shoe compensating for the difference in diameters of the piston and the cylinder and permitting the outer arcuate face r of the shoe Q to remain in.

tight. frictional engagementwith the cylinder- For the purpose of counterpoising the centrifugal action of the radially-movable pistonshoeon the working cylinder H, I provide a counterpoise Q. (See Fi 2.) The piston member P is provided with a pocket Q at a point diametrically opposite to the pocket 9, and in this pocket Q is arranged the counterpoise Q, which is adapted to have radial movement freely in the pocket andflto be maintained by centrifugal force in contact with the inner surface of the working cylin der-H, said counterpoisehaving atraveling or rolling contact with said cylinder."

The working fluid is exhausted from the high-pressure chamber N through an exhaust -passage S. (See Fig- 3.) One branch sof this exhaust-passage is formed radially" and irregularly in the. piston member P, so as to open through the periphery of said member-at a proper distance from the pocket g, while the other end ,of said branch .9 com-f municates with the.opening,M of the divi sion or partition M. The exhaust-passage S Thisradial moveextends into the engine-shaft D, as shown by Fig. 3,and the remaining branch 8 of this exhaust-passage extends irregularly and radially through the piston member P, as shown by dotted and full lines in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively. sage S opens into another piston-shoe pocket t, the latter being provided in the periphery of the piston member P, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the axis of the pocket t in the low-pressure section of the working c vlinder being at an angle of less than ninety degrees, or thereabout, to the axis of the other pocket 9 in the piston member P of the high-' pressure section of the cylinder. The pocket t in the piston member P is similar in construction to the pocket g of the piston member P, and in'this pocket tis the low-pressure piston-shoe T, the position of which is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and which is similar in construction to the piston-shoe The shoe, T extends the full length of the piston member P, and it has a peripheral 'arcuate face adapted for engagement with the inner face of the working cylinder H, said piston-shoe T being furthermore provided with The branch 8 of the pas-' gagement with the parallel walls of the pocket t. The piston-shoe T' is furthermore provided with a chamber t, having communicationwith the branch 8 of the passage S in the rotary eccentric piston, and in one side of this piston-shoe T is a port t adapted to communicate with the passage t (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2) and similar to the passage q of the piston'rn'ember P. It-will be seen that the motive fluid exhausted from the high-pressure chamber N is adapted to pass through the passage S and to be discharged into the chamber of the iston-shoe T, from whence it escapes throug the ports t 15 into the low-pressure chamber 0, so as to exert its pressure against the shoe T for the performance of useful work.

The motive fluid is exhausted from the lowpressure chamber 0 through an exhaust- 'pas sage U, one branch of which is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and which is shown as opening through the piston member P adjacent to the pocket 't for the shoe'T, while theothenbranch of said exhaust-passage'U cuts into the' shaft D and opens, as at u, through one head it of the working cylinder H, so as .to d ischarge the exhausted fluid through the bearings G or through ports 'in head It. around bearing G into the casing-B. From this casing the exhaust fluid makes'its' escape through the exhaust-pipe V, as shown y r I K I I I" Thesection P. ofithe eccentr c piston is providedwithapocke'to at'a diametrically opposite point to the piston-shoe pocket 25, and in IIO 7 pocket 9' in the acted by the counterpoise V, the latter having a free movement in the pocket '0, and also capable of rolling engagement with the inner surface of the working cylinder H, similar to the counterpoise in relation to the cylinder and the shoe Q. I v

The operation may be described as followsi Motive fluid under the required pressure is supplied by the by-under normal speed conditions the fluid passes at a regulated pressure through the chest E into the ports 'L i to the passage 71. The fluid thence asses lengthwise of the shaft D to the su p y-passa'ge s in the piston 'member P and t ence into the chamber r of arcuate face of the shoe Q in tight frictional contact'with the cylinder at all times. The shoe Q is thus made in its radial movement to open the ports r and q, and fluid is admitted to the chamber N, in which it acts against the piston-shoe in a wayto drive the i piston in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2.

On the rotation of the piston the shoe has radial movement therein, and during each rotation said piston-shoe is slightly turned rela tive to the piston, so that its inner surface and one of its arcuate surfaces willbe exposed' to the pressure of the motive fluid, while two of the outer arcuate faces ,of the shoe have the required frictional and tangential en agement with the inner surface of the cylin er H and with one wall of the iston member P, respectively. The motive fluid is exhausted from the chamber N through the passage S, which extends through both piston members P P, and from this passage S the fluid acts against the low-pressure piston-shoe T, which is of larger area than the high-pressure shoe Q, and said shoe T is acted on by the fluid exhausted from the chamber N in a similar manner as the fluid acted originally on the shoe Q that is to say, the shoe T is kept in tight frictional contact with the cylinder H by the centrifugal force and ressure of the motive fluid, and on the radia movement of the shoe relative to the piston the ports t are o ened at the-proper time, thereby admitting the fluid back of the piston-shoeT and exerting pressure'thereon in a direction required to drive the eccentric piston in the direction of the arrow. The two piston-shoes are acted on successively by the motive fluid, and the latter is finally exhausted through pi e F through the port f 2 to the steam-chest l5, and with the governor-' controlled cut-off J in position assumed there'-' paratively small sliding movement'on the inner surface of the working cylinder due to the eccentric arran ement of the shaft and the piston to said cy inder. The fluid is su plied atthe required volume and under t e necessary pressure through the port f z to the chest E, fromwhence the fluid passes throu h thence to t e.

the ports 7', i into the shaft an pressure-chamber N; but in the event of the speed becoming abnormal the governor K acts to shift the stem K and move .the spiral end of the cut-off J across the inlet-port f 2 for a distance depending upon the speed, thereby reducing the admission of the volume of fluid to the chest E, and consequently the pressure and volume of steam supplied to the en ine is regulated by the cut-off;

In t e embodiment of the invention here inbefore-described the parts are constructed for operation so as to use the motive fluid at high and low pressures in a compound en- ,gine; but it is to be distinctly understood that the. invention is not limited to a com-' pound engine, because the principle of the invention can be made available in a multiple expansion; engine wherein the motive IOC fluid is expanded a lurality of times. It is evident that a plura ity of three or four pressure-chambers, a corresponding number of piston members and piston-shoes and their correlated parts fnay be used in the construction of a triple or quadruple expansion-engine of the rotary eccentric-piston type.

Hence I desire to avail myself of the ex sive right to use my invention in the manner described.

Changes in the form, size, proportion, and minor details in construction may be made without departing from the spirit-of the invention or sacrificin any of the advantages thereof, and I there ore reserve the right to make such alterations and modifications as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is 1. In an engine, a cylinder, an eccentric piston, means for admitting .fluid through said piston, and a hollow piston-shoe having arcuate faces in engagement with said piston. ,2. In an engine, a rotary eccentric piston, and a radially-movable piston-shoe provided with curved bearing-surfaces which engage with, and are adapted to turn in, said piston.

3. In anengine, .a c linder, an eccentric revolublepistoncarrie by; a shaft,;a chambered piston-shoe having a radial ,androcking movement'relativetosaid piston, and

ton-shoe. H

' 4. Inan engine,:.a cylinder, 'an eccentric piston therein, a passage for motive fluidin said piston, and a'hollow shoe fitted in said piston for radial and re ckin movement therein, said shoe being adapte to lie across said pass'a e in the "piston. 5. n an engine, a cylinder, an eccentric revoluble-piston-carried by a shaft, a chambered piston-shoeseated inthe piston to have a radial movement and aroekin movement therein, said shcein one position beingadapted to cut cif the passageof motive fluid back of the same', and meansfor supplying ametive fluid to the chambered shoe. 6. In an engine, acylinderyan eccentric revoluble piston carried bya-shaft, ,a pistonshoe, one face'of which is ofthe same radius as the cylinder and having an arcuate face or meansfor supplying motive fluid; to said pis-...

faces of a 'differ-e'nt radius, whereby the'shoe is adapted to have a radial movement and .a rocking lay relative toth'e'v iston; and means for su p ying a motive flui to the shoe. 1 f 7. 11 an 'en ine, a cylinder, a rotary eccentric piston j t erein, said istcn having -a pocketorohamber in its periphery, apassage for motive fluid in communication with Sflld:

pocket'or-chamber, and a hollow piston-shoe occupying said-pocket or chamber and'adapted to turn and to slide therein. 7 Y

8. In sa.n"engine;:a c linder, an eccentric revoluble' piston carrie :by av-shaft, a chain-1 bered piston-shoe having a plurality of arcu-. ate faces; and a port in one of said faces, said port being ada' ted to register with a port in. means for supplying motiveterpoise being held in contact with a cylin-- der under centrifugal energy and movable relative to said piston.

11. In an engine, a cylinder, a piston, a piston-shoe seated in said piston on one side thereof, and a counterpoise seated in the piston on the other side, said counter oise having traveling contact with a c lin er and arranged'to permit passage of uid within the same.

12. In an engine, a piston having pockets at opposite points, a piston-shoe 1n one of said pockets, and an annular counterpoise movable freely in the other pocket.

13. In an engine, a working cylinder diseated in the members of t v said shoes being acrossthe outletof one passage where the latter discharges into one'of ;vided into iston-chambers, a piston having members a apted to operate in said chambers, passages. in the members of the piston I the chambers and for exhausting the motive for supplying motive fluid directly to one of fluid into other piston-chambers, and a plu ,7

rality of piston-shoes seated on the respecarranged across one vofsaid passages .in a piston member.

14. In an engine, a Working cylinder di-- vided into piston-chambers, a piston having members adapted to. operate in said chambers, passages in the members of the piston for supplyingmotive fluid directlyt'o one of tive members of the piston for operation in the pistonchambers,..each piston-shoe being the chambers and for exhausting the motive I fluid into. other piston-chambers, and a plu rality ofchambered piston-shoes, one of said shoes bein in one of said piston-chambers assa 'es' one. of the 'assa e's and the comand each s cc extending across one of saidf plemental shoe inone piston member being in a difierent plane lengthwise of the iston from another passag'eand the shoe lnthe next piston-chamber, I

15. Inanv engine, a working cylinder di-v members adapted to operatev in said cham vided intopiston-chambers, a piston having I 'bers, passages in the iston, one ,of said. as'. 5

sages opening into a ighepressurelcham er,

acent chambers, and'eac of said passages another passage extendin between theadr" eing. free and unobstructed in the body of H the piston, .anda plurality of pistonrslllloegf e piston, eac o p the piston-chambers.

16. In an engine, a plurality of pressure- LOO chambers, a piston-shaft, a plurality of ;pis f ton members on said shaft and adapted to operate in the. respective chambers, unobstructed fluid-passages in the body of the piston, members whereby communication is es- 'ton-shoes'seated in the respective piston members and eachdisposedacross the outlet end of one of'the passages, each piston-shoe engaging with one-piston member for axial and slidable movement relative thereto.

18. In an en e, ,a plurality of pressurechambers, a sing e shaft, a piston having members adapted to operate in the chambers, a plurality of piston-shoes on the respective members of the piston, each shoe being capable of a radial movement and a rocldng I movement, means for supplying motive fiui to one shoe, and a passage in the piston lead ing from one chamber to the other piston-shoe.

19; In an engine, a plurality of pressurechambers, a sin le shaft, a piston having erate in the chambers,

members adatpte to o piston-s oes seated on the pisa plurality 0 ton members and arran ed in different radialpositions relative to eac other, a plurality of counterpoise's seated in the'piston members opposite to the piston-shoes therein, and means for suppl g a motive fluid to the chambers through s aid shoes.

20. In an engine, a p1ston+shaft, a pressurechest, alive inlet to said pressure-chest, a cutoff adapted'to rotate with the'piston-shaft movement thereto.

21; In an en he, a pistonshaft,apressureand to slide across the live inlet to the pressure-chest, and a governor operativel connected to the cut-ofi for giving the .s 'dable chest, a live in ct to said chest, a cut-off having a s iral o eratin face, said cut off being revolu le wit the s aft and also adapted to slide thereon for moving the spiral face across the live inlet, and a governor operativel'y conr nected with the cut-off for imparting the sli d ing movement thereto. 4

22. In an engine, a cylinder, a piston rotatin on an axis different from that of the. cylin er, and a piston-shoe seated on said pisa rotary pisfrom the passage thereof, said shoe having a plurality of arcuate faces, one of. which is p1ston I adapted for engagement with the cylinderand the other faces engaging with the piston to enable the shoe to turn axially therein.

24. In an en ine, a piston-shaft having means for the a mission of a motive fluid, a pressure-chest, a cut-off'slidable relative to an inlet-port to said ressure-chest, for'regulating the area of sai port, a governor on the piston-shaft, and a stem slidable in the piston-shaft and connecting the governor with said cut-off. p

25. In a engine, a piston-shaft havinga longitudinal passage and an inlet-port, a pressure-chest, a cut-off revoluble with said shaft, and slidable relative to an inlet-port of said chest, a governor in coaxial vrelation to the piston-shaft and carried thereby, and a stem slidable in the piston-shaft and operatively connecting ernor. y

26. In an engine, a c'asin provided at its ends witha set of externa ly-locatedbearthe cut-off with saidgov ings, a piston-shaft journaled in said'bearings, bearing-sleeves rigid with the casing and located internally thereof, a'revoluble cylinder provided at its ends with hollow'journals which surround the bearing-sleeves, bearings engaging with the hollow journals and theibearin -sleeves, and a piston on. the shaft.

27. 11' an engine, a piston having a pocket and a fluidassage, and a piston-shoe seated in said 0c et of the piston for axial movement re ative thereto and disposedacross the passage, said shoe being of greater width that the depth of the pocke In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' I "ALFRED, I. OSTBAND'ER, Witnesses: i

H. I. BERN-HARD, JAs. H. GRIFFIN. 

